[pct-l] Resupply packages at Timberline Day Lodge

[Bob Bankhead]

I've lived in Portland for 21 years, and I think Carolyn's right. Somebody's made a business out of spotting these "homelss Vet" guys around, not just in town, but also out in the suburbs; different people, always male, always homeless, always one per on-ramp, always at the same off-ramps every single day. Stick around long enough and you can watch them get picked up at the end of the day. Locals have gotten extremely sensitive to this and the displeasure at being conned carries over to anyone soliciting on the streets, which hurts those most in need of charity.

I've picked up hikers along highway 26 between Mt Hood and Sandy, but would never consider stopping for someone on an off-ramp from any of our expressways. The on-ramps are different; folks there are usually just looking for rides instead of hand-outs, but heavy traffic makes stopping there hazardous.

Wandering Bob
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: ecpg at peoplepc.com 
  To: g l ; Tortoise ; PCT 
  Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 9:13 AM
  Subject: Re: [pct-l] Resupply packages at Timberline Day Lodge


  There are homeless soliciting money at almost every freeway ramp all thru Portland. I swear they bus them there everyday and give each of them a corner, and a sign and backpack. I wouldn't dream of stopping for anyone on the I-205, which is probably where you were.

  "Sweet Goat Mama"
  Carolyn Eddy
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/attachments/20071119/a192d441/attachment.html